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s. s. DAVIS. Tobacco Cutter.

No. 42.644. Patented May 10. 1864.

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UNITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SENECA S. DAVIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

KNIFE FOR CUTTING TOBACCO.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 42,644, dated May 10, 1864.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SENECA S. DAVIS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and Improved Method of A Cuttin and Granulatin Tobacco for Smokin b b b and other Purposes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full description of the same.

The object of my improvement is to cut leaftobacco into small grains orparticles of a uniform size, for the purpose of making the article of smoking-tobacco known to the trade as kilkinick The method of making or preparing kilkinick smoking-tobacco generally used in tobacco-cutting factories is to cut the leaf into strips by means of an ordinary straight or single edged cutter, similar to the process of cutting fine-cut chewingtobacco. Vhen thus cut into strips, it is subjected to the granulating process,which consists in pounding and rubbing it, or in putting it again into the cutter lengthwise, like straw, and thus chipping or granulating it. It will be obvious that by either method much waste and dust is made,

and at the same time labor expended to make a good article of kilkinick. Y

My improved method of cutting kilkinick entirely overcomes these difficulties. By the use of a double-edged serrated cutter, instead of a single-edged cutter, I am enabled at one operation to cut the leaf into uniform flakes or grains. In so doing there is no waste or dust,'nor is there any extra labor or loss of time in preparing the kilkinick, which, from its uniformity of granulation, is far superior for smoking purposes than that which is prepared in the old way. But to describe myimprovement more particularly, I will refer to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, the same letters of reference, wherever they occur, referring to like parts.

Figure 1 is a front or face view of the cutter. Fig. 2 is avertical end View of the same. Fig. 3 is aview of the point of the knife, showing the double row of cutting-edges.

Letter A is a broad plate of steel, of about threeeighths of an inch thick by twelve inch es wide and eight inches long, as commonlyused in a working-machine, having in its upper part two vertical bolt-hole slots, B B, to admit of its being adjusted upon the operating parts of the machine.

c c, 850., are a series of cutting-edges, formed by plowing or grooving D D, &c., the face of the plate to a depth equal to about the width of the cutting-point of each chisel, so that when the knife is ground off or beveled, as shown at E, Fig. 2, a double row of subdivided cutting-edges are formed, the plowed parts forming the second or back row, and intervening between the first or front row, and thus making a continuous cut across the face of the tobacco to chip or cut it into small leaflets or flakes, to form or prepare it for smoking purposes.

I am aware that a cutter in the form above described is shown in the plane-stock used by J. and G. W. Prescott in their machine for making stuffing for mattresses by curling the shavings into helices; but, except as forming a part of their claim in a combination of devices, is not claimed'as their exclusive in-v vention; nor do I wish to be understood a making any special claim to it.

My invention relates only to its application, the same as in the Messrs. Prescotts invention, though to a totally distinct branch of manufactures, and entirely dissimilar mode of application.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The improved method of cutting or granulating leaf-tobacco to make what is known to the trade as kilkinick smoking-tobacco by cutting it at one operation with a double-edged serrated knife, as hereinbefore described.

S. S. DAVIS.

Witnesses: 4 i

O. L. BARRITT, F. WV. LAMB. 

